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RCA's Frank McCann Dies At 71

Long-time RCA and Thomson Consumer Electronics public relations executive Frank McCann died on Sunday, Nov. 21 of complications from cancer. He was 71.

McCann was a long time RCA Corp. executive who joined the company in 1960 and transferred from his native New York City when the consumer electronics division opened its new headquarters, here.

At RCA, McCann held positions in product planning and advertising before becoming manager and then public affairs VP. When RCA was sold to GE, and the consumer electronics division sold by GE to the French company Thomson, he continued to oversee the public and press relations programs for a company that had become an international conglomerate.

In 1989, during the battle for high-definition television (HDTV), McCann led the extensive public relations activities of a consortium that included Thomson, Zenith, Philips and NBC, among others, and later via the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance in 1993.

In 1997, a year after the FCC adoption of the Grand Alliance HDTV system, a Technical Emmy was awarded to him and the consortium for the Grand Alliance System and the HDTV standard.

In 1999, McCann retired from Thomson and formed his own public relations firm, Frank McCann & Associates, continuing to do consulting work for Thomson as well as his other clients, International Recording Media Association (IRMA) and Sirius Satellite Radio. He is survived by his wife Anna and their four children and six grandchildren.